Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill’s comments followed the release of an analysis by Scotland’s chief statistician covering 2005 to 2007, showing that 74% of people sent to jail for six months or less were likely to be found guilty of another offence within 24 months.

This compared to 27% of those sentenced to four years or longer.

Mr MacAskill said it was vindication of plans to scrap most sentences of less than six months because they do little to rehabilitate offenders.

He said: “The statistics reinforce the trend of recent years, a trend that sees three-quarters of those sentenced to less than six months in prison gain further convictions within two years of release.

“By contrast, three out of five of those sentenced to community service have a clean record after a similar time. Short sentences simply don’t work. They are both ineffective and of no practical benefit to communities.”

The figures show that 68% of offenders who have tagging orders imposed on them are reconvicted within the same time frame, while the reconviction rate is even higher for those on drug treatment and testing orders – with 81% convicted again within two years.

Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker said: “It is ­ludicrous to suggest that these figures justify scrapping custodial sentences for 65% of knife criminals, 71% of housebreakers and 40% of those convicted of indecent assault.

“Claims that reoffending for community sentences is lower don’t stand up to any scrutiny because those who are given custodial sentences rather than community sentences have usually already reoffended many times – they are by definition more serious criminals.”

Tory justice spokesman John Lamont said the figures showed no improvement over the last decade, adding: “We are not rehabilitating criminals successfully when they are behind bars, we are failing to get them off the conveyor belt of crime and despite these figures relating to the last administration, Alex Salmond’s SNP Government does not inspire confidence that the situation will improve.”

For the Liberal Democrats, Robert Brown said: “The figures make a mockery out of the hollow and sensationalist policies of Labour and the Tories on tackling crime. Locking more people up simply isn’t the answer as prison clearly doesn’t work as a deterrent to crime.

“Liberal Democrats want to see short-term prison sentences of three months or less replaced with tough community sentences.

“Ministers should also be doing more to support organisations that help get young people off the streets, diverting them away from ever getting involved in crime and reoffending in the first place.”

The Justice Secretary said prisons should focus on the most serious criminals for whom jail was the only option.

Mr MacAskill said “community payback orders” planned by the Scottish Government as a replacement for existing community sentences would enable offenders to repay communities and make them less likely to reoffend.